About Me

Melissa White

Hello, and thanks for visiting my blog! My name is Melissa, and I love being a teacher. This is my 12th year of classroom teaching, both in regular and special education. Before that, I worked for more than a decade with a non-profit children's charity in Cleveland's inner city.

In my spare time (hmmmm?), I teach graduate and undergraduate education courses in reading and special education. I love collaborating and sharing with other teachers, and this blog helps me to do a little bit more.

My passions in teaching include integrating technology, using hands-on activities in math and science, and differentiating instruction for students with various needs. I also have an extensive background in working with students with autism and emotional disturbance, and teach workshops to parents of children with these needs.

Last, but best, I am mom to one terrific daughter! She makes each day brighter, and is the inspiration for what I do each day!

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

It’s
probably happening in just about every classroom in America this week:spring break fever!The students know it’s coming…the teachers
know it’s coming…and everyone is ready for a few days of vacation!And with all this excitement often comes an
increase in chattiness! I’m definitely a teacher
that encourages kids to talk about their ideas and problem solve with their
peers in class, but sometimes we all get a little TOO loud!

This
week I think I found a solution. Better
yet, it’s a FREE solution! It’s a genius
app called Too Noisy! This wonderful tool uses a visual meter to
signal kids when the classroom is becoming too loud. A yellow sky warns that the decibels are
climbing, and a black stormy sky tells students that they’ve passed the noise
threshold! I like that you can adjust
the sensitivity according to the situation and environment too!

Just right!

Getting loud!

TOO noisy!

I use it by opening the app on my iPad, and putting it under the document camera in my class.It’s a big enough display to even just put
the iPad at the front of the room for students to see.Small groups could even take an iTouch with the
app as a great reminder!Too Noisy is
available on both iPad and iPhone, so there’s nice flexibility.

I
used it yesterday when a group of 8 kiddos practicing Reader’s Theater got a
little bit too loud. With it, they were
able to work much more quietly--in the hallway no less! I used it today when we were packing up for
the day. It’s such a simple way to give
kiddos feedback on how loud their voices should be. I’m a fan!

Again,
this app is FREE but for $1.99 a few more bells and whistles such as different
background themes and a counter that tracks how many times the noise meter has
reached its peak. Check it out in the
app store or at toonoisyapp.com.

Hang in there kids! Hang in there teachers! Spring break is just around the corner! This tool might just help a little bit in the meantime! J